Saturday, March 31, 2012

Birds & Cats

I know there are a lot of bloggers friends that love cats and I hope my post does not make my readers upset with me. Recently, I read an article about birds killed by turbines in one of our environmental magazines. I honestly think that the wind turbines are horrible for birds, especially sitting in the path of migrating birds. What really surprised me was they listed domestic cats and pesticides kill tens of MILLIONS of birds annually.

Above is a sweet Hermit Thrush!!

I would think logically the wind farms can be put in areas away from migrating birds. I read that engineers are looking into various ideas to protect the birds and actually try to keep birds away from the turbines. Suggestions were solid towers rather than lattice style which the birds like to perch on, radar that would slow the turbines down when it detected approaching migrating birds, flashing strobe lights at the top and even changing the color of the tower.

EDIT: As I was playing on the computer this morning and listening to the news I heard the Electric Co or State of Maryland wants to add a monthly fee onto our bills to help pay for a wind farm they want to put out in the ocean. I believe this would be near Ocean City, Md. Now, this wind farm would be on the Atlantic Flyway for migrating birds and they want me to help pay for it. Are they are out their minds?????

This is one of the wild cats I have seen recently in my yard. I must find a way to keep these cats out of my yard. Should I call the animal shelter? These cats are wild, they have had no shots from a vet and raise babies in an old car that one of my neighbors keeps in their yard. If anyone has any ideas, I am open to suggestions.

Above my Wingscape Birdcam has captured some cute squirrel shots.

My Goldie Girl looks a little upset I will not play ball with her. Goldie Girl recently had her long hair cut and now looks more like a lab than a Golden Retriever. But, she is still my cutie.

I do have to admit I am a dog lover and a responsible dog owner. We keep our dog in a fenced-in yard and on a leash while out walking. Now, it would be nice if cat owners were responsible too and either keep their cats inside the house or watch them when they are outside or do they have leashes for cats? I was horrified when I heard how many birds are killed annually by cats. When I see the feral cats in my neighborhood, that keep coming into my yard all I can think of is trying to protect my birds and the cute chipmunks that must go into hiding to be safe from the cat. If engineers are willing to work on the problems of the birds & turbines I would think pet owners could find a way to protect the birds from their cats. As far as pesticides go, we are not able to use pesticides around our well water so pesticides are a NO-NO for us.. Also, aren't there a lot of safe organic products that can be used on lawns and plants?

Another shot of my sweet Hermit Thrush

Sorry my critter post included a rant. I just care about the birds and wildlife. To see more cute and wonderful critters please visit Misty Dawn's Camera Critters.. Thanks to Misty for hosting and thanks for stopping by my post. I hope everyone has a HAPPY weekend and Happy Birding to my birder friends.

48 comments:

Just talking qbout this topic, at one stage, house owners put plastic bottles filled with water in the garden, they believe the water reflection will prevent other people's dog and cats coming to your garden and shit there,

A new development is putting old CDs , may repell animals, but also birds which of course in your case, you don't want. (yes for me because I have a zillion birds eating my fruits.)

We see that first hand in my neighborhood with the pesticides. We call the one place "silent spring"--the lady sprays every little bug and weed. There isn't a bird or bee on her property. And she wonders why. Duh!!

Good luck with the cat problem. I know what hubby would do with the feral cats. I'd try the animal control dept. in your area first. And if that doesn't work, try one of those "animal trapping" companies if there is one in your area.

Hi there - feral cats are a huge problem in Australia and one of the things that stops us dealing with the issue is the "oh, poor cute little puddy tats" type of reaction. I really like cats - but they are a domestic pet and should be treated like one - ie kept on domestic properties!

Ah, my blood pressure has come down now! But it’s still an issue we have to deal with!

It is very disturbing to see the feral cats, and yes, I think you should have them picked up by animal control! Last weekend we visited a wildlife rehab center and found that cats were one of the worst offenders for wild animals - their bite is toxic to other animals! Many of the injured animals brought in to the center were attacked by domestic cats - and not just the feral kind! I always had cats, but mine were indoor cats. My last one was inherited when I married Dan, and she was indoor and out...she wandered, and chased all our birds away...so when she went on to kitty heaven, we were sad, but vowed to not have another cat, especially one that lived outdoors! There's my rant for the day...and the bird and squirrel photos were great - as usual!

Oh my, I have to admit..I am a cat lover!I own 2, one (M)strictly indoor and the other (F)indoor/outdoor, butI am a responsible owner of both.

I have also had a problem with ferrel and abandoned cats. Definitly call animal control! If they are too wild shelters won't take them, but the need for control is very important due to rabies and other diseases!

I will also admit that my indoor/outdoor female cat killed one of my Cardinals this winter, WHICH UPSET ME VERY MUCH because I have never had a problem with her bothering the birds! The bird was not injured and bleeding, she brought it to me and dropped it at my feet, it appeared to have died from exhaustion possibly due to her "playing" with it.

I love this deck-cam. It's amazing what images you capture. Oh I know about the 'cost' and charges these politicians come up with these days...it's always "Pay me to do this and that"...I know just what you mean, and it's frustrating as heck!!! It's been ages since I've been to Ocean City....years ago. I can only imagine the difference I'd see today.

Oh, and the 'wild cat'...feral cat ---at first sight, I thought it was a red fox until closer viewing.

ugh, I agree with your feral cat rant! Not only do they have the nerve to you my front gardens for their litter box, they climb over the fence into my backyard to climb my aviary and scare my Parakeets. My dogs try to keep them out but they are so silent that by the time a ruckus starts and the dogs get out they are long gone.We have called our animal shelter and if you catch them they will take them....for a fee. I do all the work and stilll have to pay them to take them? Unfortunately now when/if I catch one (they get smart) I take it out near a farm and release. I feel bad but can't afford to pay the county to take them or pay to have them fixed. I have heard they don't like orange peels. One year I surrounded my boundries with peels...they don't last very long :( . When they dried up the cats sprayed them....ah yes that lovely fragrance..NOT!

We have cats..indoor cats...indoor cats that wear bells should one sneak out so the birds have time to get away.

Only organic gardening for me. I try to compost...if the plant can't holds its own then it doesn't belong in my garden ;)

Good luck and if you find something that works to keep the cats away PLEASE share! ;)*hugs*deb

i am with you all the way on this. i have several stray cats in my yard, the shelter won't take them. i worry about their safety and our safety as well. they eat my beautiful birds and it breaks my heart!!

the cat in your post looked like a lion to me, honestly....beautiful thrush captures!!

Good thinking Eileen and i think everyone should have a rant now and again, especially if it's something they care deeply about as you do. Your Hermit shots are just fantastic - a lovely thrush indeed. Have a great weekend's birding.

I am outraged!!! Just kidding:) I'm an owner of 5 house kitties. we have the feral types and I get angry when they mess with my feathered friends outside. This is going to sound terrible, but we had a terrible feral cat problem on our property a couple years ago. I trapped them and brought them to get fixed and rerelease. As for the windmills, I had not known that....I am now thinking about this is a different way. I'm glad you brought your birdcam into the fold. That squirrel makes me laugh:) As for outdoor cats, they kill a lot of lizards, birds, etc here BUT the coyotes and hawks like them as well. So it works out:)

A difficult topic, birds and cats are maybe all part of the balance of nature, or maybe not. However wind turbines are a man made disaster for wildlife! A lovely selection of photos, my favourite is the first one.

I agree with you about the cat problem My cats are strictly indoor cats. The problem we have here is that cat owners let their cats go outside. They're not strays, they're not feral. That sweet little house cat becomes a hunter and a killer. Responsible owners need to keep their cats indoors and feral populations should be handled humanely.

I love cats but I understand that feral cats are a problem. We used to have a colony in our neighborhood but fishers took care of them and they are no more. My understanding is that the best way to get rid of a feral cat colony is to capture them, spay or neuter them and put them back. They will eventually die off but in the meantime, no more cats will be welcomed into the colony. I just want to scream when I think about people dumping cat litters on the side of the road or out in the country. It is up to us to spay or neuter our pets. And domestic cats really should be kept inside.Enough of my rant. Beautiful pics here. Love the hermit thrush and the squirrel pics.

Rant all you want Eileen -- although I suspect you're pretty much preaching to the choir" here since we all love our birds. (Wish we could figure out how to get your message out to people who let their cats roam -- or worse dump them. I've never understood how it is OK to let cats roam -- (and we used to always have cats -- I don't hate them). RV parks often have trouble with feral cats and I've seen them use humane cat traps. But I don't know what they do with them once caught. (No good if they just take them out to the woods and let them go.) Wind machines -- I read somewhere that they've figured out how to make them so they don't destroy birds -- I'll have to go look that up. Hope it's true.

Great post, Eileen--and I totally agree with you. They don't need to put that wind farm in a place where birds migrate... Good Gosh--and they want YOU to pay for it???? GADS...

About cats, we are lucky here since our community doesn't allow any pets unless they are on a leash. I hear dogs barking --but seldom see cats at all... You are right when you ask pet owners to be responsible. Many are not...

Love your pictures of the thrush. Good luck with the cats. I know they can be a real problem, but here in Texas we have 3 million feral hogs! Talk about problems! WE have them on our land periodically and they can destroy a pasture quicker than you can say hogs gone wild!

Hi Eileen, I like the picture of the Thrush. Interesting and sad about those feral kitties. Unfortunately the feral cats seldom make wonderful pets - some do but they tend to wander and seem aloof. I've had better luck with the kittens born to feral cats then I have with the adults. I don't have good solutions except for live trap/capture and spay/neuter which is expensive. Perhaps there is a pet rescue organization around your community that does such? Have a great Sunday!

Great post!Beautiful photos as always.I'm so tired of trying to keep the cats away from our garden and all the birds we have visiting.I love cats, but not in my garden.Please keep us updated on the windmills and the cats.Mette

Lovely sweet Hermit Thrush! I feel the same way you do about wind turbines and cats. We have a problem with our neighbors cats out at our country property. The felines (5 of them) spend all day long on our property. Last year, I was very saddened when I found two of his cats torturing a juvenile robin. I was beside myself. If there was only something we could do ...

TYou can get sonic alarms that keep cats out of your property (though I'm not sure how they would affect chipmunks and squirrels, they wouldn't affect birds). I really like cats but its shocking how many birds they kill and then they don't even eat them! I once saw a sparrowhawk kill a bird and then a cat came along, scared the sparrowhawk off but didn't eat the dead bird!

I'm a cat lover but I have read of their preying on the birds. In fact, our neighbor's outdoor cat, comes by routinely hoping to get lucky at my feeders. I chase him away when I can but I know he has been lucky a few times. sighYou might try to Have a Heart trap. Many folks are successful with them and you could take him to the local animal shelter where they could at least neuter him and re-release. I have no answer on the wild cats. And I know they need to eat as well as our birds. Cycle of life I suppose.

Yeah, I was shocked when Nat Geo published an article about the wind turbines and bird deaths. They had some crazy photos of some fatalities- it's such a shame because it's such a great source of energy otherwise. Now when I hear of wind farms all I can picture is thousands of dead birds...

About me

I am married and have one son in his 20's. I live in Maryland, USA. Retired since Dec 2014 My hobbies are hiking, birding, taking photos and anything nature related.
I love traveling and seeing new places. I blog just for fun & take photos just for fun. I do not sell my photos but if you see one you want to use one just let me know.

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